In Norway, the 'doctor's' a sergeant - Airman World - Air Force medical technician Carlos Diaz - Brief Article

Airman, July, 2002 by Jason Tudor

STAVANGER, Norway -- When someone asks if there's a doctor in the house, Master Sgt. Carlos Diaz shakes his head and tells them "no"

That's because Diaz fills that role in Stavanger. The 18-year veteran is the 426th Air Base Group's individual duty medical technician. When his door opens each morning, he becomes the de facto doctor for more than 100 American and Canadian service members.

While a physician from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, visits this NATO headquarters cadre once a month, it's Diaz who handles the majority of sniffles, coughs, scratches and irritations that his clientele suffer during the other 29 days.

"There's a lot of responsibility with this job," he said. But, he added, "It's very rewarding."

The Air Force's more than 400 independent-duty medical technicians can temporarily fill tooth cavities, dispense pharmaceuticals, stitch cuts, drain infections, stabilize injured people and patch-up wounded troops for transport to field hospitals. They also test food and water to ensure safety for troops in the field.

As the Tricare representative, Diaz spends time making referrals to doctors in the Norwegian community. Most recently, he helped Master Sgt. Ted Kicklighter and his wife, Pamela, get into a local hospital for the birth of their son, Leif.

He's also provided a litany of referrals for broken bones, obstetrics-gynecology appointments and contracted dental care.

Diaz said the most difficult part of being the sole provider is convincing skeptics he's qualified to help them. That's nothing new for individual duty medical technicians. They haven't received the same bonuses and other perks given to airmen with similar training, he said. But nothing affects his level of service.

"Some people just have to see a doctor. That's who they trust," he said. "I do my best to educate them and ensure them I'm qualified to help -- in most cases."

That includes stitching up wounded airmen and other tests of his skill. The Miami native's time in Norway, however, has been calm.

Diaz served in Italy, Spain and twice in Saudi Arabia before Stavanger. Shortly, he'll jet off to Maui for a stint as the care provider for the staff of the Air Force's solar observatory [See "Space Watchers," August 2001].

With all his experience, Diaz has no desire to become a doctor.

"A physician's assistant, maybe," he said, sticking close to his blue-collar medical technician roots. "Individual duty medical technicians have done a lot of things. We haven't changed the world, but we've done a lot of good."